Parents Luke Morgan and Emma Cole have been jailed for a combined 13 years following the death of their nine-week-old baby - who suffered fractured ribs and was even bitten.

And the former Stoke-on-Trent couple were heard arguing and crying at their flat in the hours before baby Tyler Morgan was admitted to hospital where he passed away.

The pair had previously been cleared of his murder and manslaughter at Stafford Crown Court before being convicted of causing or allowing his death. Morgan, formerly of Sunnymead Road, Burntwood, and Cole, of Summerbank Road in Tunstall, had both denied playing any part in their son's death.

Emma Cole

Today Morgan, aged 26, and Cole, aged 22, were back in the crown court to be sentenced. The court was told how one of Tyler's parents unlawfully killed him by smothering him with such significant force to cause marks on his face. Meanwhile the other was said to have failed to protect him.

The baby's grandparents also released a statement following the hearing why they described him as a 'beautiful baby boy' and have revealed how the incident has ripped the family apart.

A statement from Tyler's grandparents

Losing Tyler was the worst day of our lives. Not knowing how or why is the worst situation we could have been in. To think it’s been five years since we lost this beautiful baby boy and it’s only now, we are getting answers. We miss you so much, Tyler and not a day goes by where we don’t think of you. We would like to thank Staffordshire Police for not giving up and making sure Tyler has had a voice.

Our family has been ripped apart during the last five years. We now have to find a way of carrying on now that this trial has finished. We thank all concerned in reaching a verdict. Special thanks to the liaison officer who has supported us all through this awful time. We now need time to rebuild and heal our lives as a family. Tyler will always be in our hearts.

The court heard that an ambulance was called to Morgan and Cole's former home in Sunnymead Road, Burntwood, on April 29, 2014 after Morgan said he had kissed his son's forehead and it felt cool to the touch. The baby was taken to Walsall Manor Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

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He was found with a bite mark on his forearm and three fractured ribs. He also had marks to both sides of his face and the bridge of his nose.

Morgan and Cole of Byron Close, Burntwood, who went on to have a second child, had both been heard arguing and crying before their son was taken to hospital.

Luke Morgan

The court heard there had been a 'significant delay' of up to one hour before the emergency services were called. Cole admitted to having drunk three large glasses of wine and Morgan admitted to drinking beer with nine cans of lager found in the kitchen.

Andrew Smith, prosecuting, detailed the impact that Tyler's death had caused to the defendants' wider families. He said: "The statements detail the personal loss felt by the wider family in respect of the death of Tyler. Mrs Cole describes Tyler's death as devastating and that she couldn't envisage the loss becoming ever easier to deal with over time.

"Mrs Morgan describes that her family will never get over the loss of Tyler their is obvious pain associated with their loss."

The court heard that Tyler had also been subject to previous neglect such as being bathed in cold water and having lemon juice put on his lips.

Mark Heywood, mitigating for Morgan, said: "He is 26 now, he was significantly younger at the time Tyler lost his life. It is something he will have to deal with for the rest of his life. That is something which clearly is going to affect him.

"As a 21-year-old young man he was quite hard working. He was proud of his child but the more experienced mothers in the family did suggest he was rather naive about the way he approached the child. He wasn't aware of the vulnerability of a small child compared to slightly older one, he wanted him to grow up a little more."

Tyler Morgan

Kevin Hegarty, mitigating for Cole, said: "This is not something she has treated lightly and the effect on her will be life long. What she didn't see in the relationship between her and her partner was from her own immaturity and not being alive to all the risks that she should have been alive to.

"It's a very short period of time in which this risk appeared and it's her immaturity and her relationship with drink which led her to failing to act as she should have done."

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Morgan was sentenced to eight years imprisonment for causing or allowing the death of Tyler and also handed a five year term, to run concurrently, for child cruelty

Cole was sentenced to five years imprisonment for causing or allowing the death of Tyler and a two year sentence, to run concurrently, for child cruelty.

Stafford Crown Court

Judge Michael Chambers QC said he found Morgan to be responsible for a bite mark on Tyler's forearm and rib fractures. He told the defendants: "One of you unlawfully killed him and I'm quite satisfied that it was by smothering him to the face and also possibly compressing him to the chest with such significant force to cause marks to his face and the other of you must have been aware that he was at significant risk of serious physical harm, yet failed to protect him."

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